MATTHEWS, N.C. — The yellow-legged hornet has been sighted in North Carolina for the first time, prompting an investigation by state agriculture officials.
The invasive species was discovered in Matthews and poses a significant threat to local honeybee populations.
Originally from Asia, the yellow-legged hornet is known for preying on honeybees and other native insects.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture confirmed the identification of the hornet after a resident reported seeing the pest near their home.
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Greg Wiggins with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture said the investigation began after a resident in Matthews reported a sighting near a hummingbird feeder.
“The pictures looked close enough to a yellow-legged hornet specimen that we went to the house to confirm,” Wiggins said.
While officials confirmed the presence of the hornet, they have not yet located its nest.
The hornet is particularly dangerous to local ecosystems because it targets concentrated populations of pollinators.
Wiggins explained that the insects hunt by hovering outside of a hive and capturing returning bees one by one.
“Mainly because it’s an easy source,” Wiggins said. “If you can locate a hive, you have thousands of insects in one place.”
Justin Orders, a local beekeeper, said his hives are already under stress from environmental factors. He noted that while some of his hives are currently healthy, the season has been difficult.
“This one’s got a good bit of honey and pollen stored away,” Orders said while inspecting a hive.
However, he noted that the bees are struggling with more than just invasive predators.
“The drought made it for a not-so-great nectar flow,” Orders said. “We’ve got to deal with habitat loss. We’ve got to deal with climate change and pesticide use.”
To monitor the situation, the Department of Agriculture is encouraging beekeepers to create homemade traps using plastic containers, grape juice and brown sugar.
Orders has already begun using these traps to track local activity.
“This has been out for maybe 3 days, and it’s already caught about 20 different things,” Orders said. He noted the urgency of the situation, adding, “They just seem to be spreading so fast.”
The discovery in Matthews follows a sighting of the yellow-legged hornet in York County last fall.
Agriculture officials are attempting to locate and destroy any active nests before the fall, when hornet queens typically leave to establish new colonies.
“Our goal is to find nests as quickly as we can to eradicate them,” Wiggins said.
Residents can report yellow-legged hornet nests found in South Carolina here and North Carolina here.